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Body Control Pilates – London

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a Pilates class atBody Control Pilatesin Bloomsbury with Natalie. The building is a fantastic space, with multiple studios available for one-to-one sessions, classes, and teacher training. The studios are fully-equipped with everything you need to challenge yourself or ease discomfort. They’re also lined with mirrors, so you’re able to see your positions and allow you to correct them.

I love yoga and practise it regularly, so it was interesting to try something different. Pilates is very “hands on” as Anne, our lovely informative teacher, put it. I found this approach helpful for adjusting my positions and it enabled me to notice things that I wasn’t doing quite right, which I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. Pilates also seems much more focused on the body than yoga is, or perhaps just focused on the body in a different way. I had to focus much more on movement and found that I was concentrating on the order in which different muscles are used, as well as gaining a better understanding of how the body works.

The teachers will adapt the movements if you have any injuries. Natalie has some back issues, and Anne was brilliant at making sure the moves were pain-free, and at adjusting the position at the sign of any discomfort.

We started on the mats, focusing on linking our breathing with movement, and began with some core work. As a beginner, I was amazed at how much thought goes into some of the positions to perform them correctly – they often looked so simple and yet when I tried to copy it, Anne would show me what I needed to change. As I’ve only ever been to a few pilates sessions, I’ve never used the Pilates reformer, so I was excited to try it. Anne helped to change my positions, and showed me some basic exercises that involved working against the resistance of the springs. I thought it was a slightly different and more complex version of TRX bands and a great way to work your muscles.

Overall, I found the session informative, engaging and highly recommend Body Control Pilates. The teachers are friendly and helpful, the equipment is top of the range, and you’ll learn a lot about how the body, specifically your body, works.